Late October is a thrilling time of ghosts, goblins, and festive frights.
Commercial property owners are in for the biggest scare, however, if they fail to winterize their irrigation systems prior to the season’s first deep freeze.
Winterizing irrigation systems is an absolute essential part of managing a commercial property in Maryland and New Jersey at this time of year. If you have not yet scheduled your annual “blow out,” here are three reasons to arrange for professional maintenance ASAP:
- Protect your wallet: Just one frigid night is all it takes to cause extensive damage if any water remains in your automatic sprinkler system’s pipes. When that water freezes and expands, it can crack and bust your pipes and yield thousands of dollars in damage.
Additionally, winterizing irrigation systems most likely protects your warranty for parts and labor, should repairs to your system ever be required. Many manufacturers insist on regularly scheduled maintenance, including, but not limited to, a complete “blow-out” prior to the winter months.
- Protect your property: Flooded basements are the pits, literally. If pipes adjacent to your property should freeze and burst, you risk extensive water damage to your building’s interior, on top of the already mounting repair costs associated with your irrigation system.
Automatic irrigation systems are also fitted with a Backflow Protection Device, which prevents contaminants, such as pesticides and insect goo, from entering your property’s tap water line. This copper fitting is one of the most expensive components of a sprinkler system, and also the one most susceptible to damage, due to its placement above ground. If it breaks, not only do you have a costly replacement to pay for, but you run the risk of polluting your tenant’s drinking water.
- Protect your aesthetics: Irrigation system repairs and/or replacements often require extensive upheaval to a landscape, as new trenches must be dug and various pipes, pumps, and valves excavated. This not only creates an eyesore for you, your tenants, and your tenants’ clients, but also a daily obstacle during some of the busiest months of the year.
Most contractors recommend a “blow-out” method of winterizing irrigation systems. This process utilizes compressed air to blast water from your system’s pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads. Below ground systems should be winterized prior to December, while above ground systems should be blown out prior to late November.
Winterizing irrigation systems is a task that should be left to professionals, only. Not only do contractors have the industrial-grade tools required for the job, but they will conduct a thorough examination of your sprinkler system and recommend any tweaks, repairs, or upgrades necessary for flawless irrigation once spring returns.
GroundsCare Landscape maintains commercial irrigation systems throughout Maryland and New Jersey and we can help you prepare your property for the winter months. Call us today at 888-588-8451.
